How to Open Up About Your Trauma
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Opening up about your trauma to others and learning to be vulnerable can be helpful when you’re trying to heal. The more you discuss your pain and what you’re going through, the less alone you might feel as you work through your emotions.
However, as straightforward as it might seem for people experiencing trauma to talk openly, it’s not always easy. To heal and close that chapter of your life, you might like to try some of the following techniques.
Seek Justice
Sometimes, the desire to hold someone accountable for an injustice you experienced can be enough to help you talk through what you’ve experienced. For example, if you were abused at the hands of someone in your church, you might feel comfortable discussing your experience with a priest sexual abuse attorney. When they listen, believe what you’re saying, and empathize with your situation, you might feel empowered to share your story more and fight for your right to closure.
Open Up to Yourself First
Sharing your traumas with someone for the first time, such as an expert in psychology, will never be easy, but it can be even harder when you haven’t opened up to yourself. Learning to be more open with yourself might make it easier to be more open and honest with others.
There are many helpful online resources with tips to assist with this process, such as embracing your strengths and positive qualities, working on your self-confidence, and using open body language when talking to people.
Start With Easier Topics
You might be in therapy to discuss and work through your trauma, but that doesn’t mean you must start with those topics. Building a rapport with even the best therapists can take time, especially if you’re used to not trusting people or haven’t been to therapy before.
Don’t be afraid to discuss your daily life first to get to grips with what the average therapy session looks like. This might help you feel more comfortable while also allowing your therapist to get to know you.
Write Notes
Words might not flow easily for your first or subsequent therapist sessions. If you’re worried about not being able to cover the topics you want to cover or saying what you need to say, don’t be afraid to write notes. While you might stray from those notes, you have a starting point to work from to make the most of your 45 to 50-minute sessions.
Be Kind to Yourself
Talking about a traumatic experience can be challenging, and there might be moments when you feel uncomfortable, sad, angry, or too emotional to speak. Be kind to yourself in these moments, and don’t force yourself to say or do anything you don’t want to do.
If a topic is too challenging to discuss, don’t push yourself through it until you’re ready. You’ll have multiple sessions to work through your trauma and heal from it; it doesn’t all need to be done immediately.
Opening up about trauma in therapy will never be straightforward. You might even find yourself wishing you had never opened that painful wound. However, by being kind to yourself, easing into the process, and seeking justice, you might put yourself on the path to healing and moving past your trauma.
